Concerns Over Cross Device Marketing

With the advances in technology have come advances in the way companies market their products and services. One innovation that is current getting a lot of attention is cross-device marketing. This type of marketing has come under fire due to security concerns, but it has also opened many doors and can be quite useful.

How It’s Used

Cross-device marketing involves monitoring and tracking a consumer’s activities on all the devices he or she uses to access the internet. For companies, this allows them to learn more about your activities. For example, if you see an advertisement while on your smartphone and switch to your computer to buy the item, the company will be able to see that their ad was effective. Without this type of marketing, the company would not have a way to completely track the effectiveness of the ad. Cross-device marketing enables companies to compile a marketing profile for you across all your devices.

Tracking is often done by signing into an account. This allows companies to track your activity and merge your activity on all your devices. So, if you were to put something in a shopping cart while on a site on your computer and you opened that same site on your phone, then your item would be in your shopping cart on both devices. In this way, it is actually beneficial to you, too.

UAB online notes a few things to keep in mind when engaging in cross-device marketing to make the best use of it. This includes creating good landing pages, using keywords smartly and understanding reach and frequency.

Concerns

As with any type of activity tracking, privacy is a concern with cross-device marketing. Knowing a company is always watching can be a little scary. Mainly the concern lies with tracking not related to signing in, called probabilistic tracking, where data collection helps to track consumers. Not making consumers aware they are being tracked is something the FTC has begun looking into. The main consensus is that privacy has to be kept in mind and users need to be aware when companies are using this type of marketing.

The Good News

Because cross-device marketing and tracking can be beneficial to consumer and companies, it is not likely to be abandoned despite concerns. The good news is that this open doors to new jobs in the IT field for those working in cyber security. MVU online notes some things to consider when entering this field. This area of technology is one that you’ll want to explore if you are currently getting an IT degree or you are thinking about it. Cybersecurity is likely to continue to grow, and the need for trained professionals will grow with it.

Cross-device marketing is not really all that new, but it is garnering more attention as privacy concerns are foremost in the mind of internet users. In addition, the increase in multi-device browsing is increasing the use of this type of marketing. New techniques, like probabilistic tracking, are prompting government involvement to ensure consumers are kept safe. Likely, the move will be toward a more transparent use of tracking, so consumers are aware of when their online activities are being monitored.

Japan Plans Supercomputer to Leap into Technology Future

Japan has made plans for building a supercomputer with a speed of 130 peta flops. The price estimation made by the ministry of economy, trade and industry is 19.5 billion yen ($173 million). This has been made as the Government policy to bring back the country’s lost market back. Japan has lost its technology market to South Korea and china due to heavy competition among them. This supercomputer yet to be made by the country will help its country’s manufactures to develop and to improve their research works. This computer technology might improve Robotics, medical diagnostics and driverless vehicles.

This computer which is being made by the country can calculate 130 quadrillion calculations per secondor 130 peta flops. This computer is made ahead of China’s Sunway Taihulight that is capable of 93 peta flops per second. Japans aim is to create a fast calculating computer to create advancement in computer technology in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This can mimic the human minds neural Pathways to analyze Data and work out calculation. This has been made possible by Google with Google’s DeepMind AI program which has beat South Korean professional Lee Seedol in the ancient board game of Go in the month of March.

This applications in technology includes the developments of various technology by companies and create an fully automatic machinery range. This might create an revolution in the medial industry to track a person’s medical record and analyze their medical health and be used to help them in some critical situations.

This computers made by Japan will be made available first to all Japanese Corporation with fee. This might free many Japanese corporations from depending on other countries super computer. Many leading computer companies have been keen to be involved in the Development of this Super Computer. The Fastest super computer ever built in Japan is the Oakforest –PACS with a speed of 13.6 peta flops and had been developed by Fujistsu. This creates a high expectation for this project among many companies and countries.

The Super computer has been named AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure and has been called ABCI in short form and is expected to be finished in the end of 2017. The bidding for this super computer project has been made and has started and would be closed on December 8. Still it has not been confirmed that who will be making the super computer for government. Japan has the fourth largest number of supercomputers in the world after the United States, Germany and China.

iPhone Video Bug Crashes Any Apple Phone

Ever wondered that playing just a simple .mp4 video file may crash your iPhone? Well, reports say that a malicious video file is being circulated online via Safari in the form of a link. Once the file is opened, a video starts playing but after about 30 seconds, the phones become sluggish until it stops working altogether. First reported by EverythingApplePro, the video is of a person standing beside a bed and the word ‘Honey’ pops up on the screen. Initially the phone works fine but slows down till it crashes. The video file may be corrupted or infected with a virus and produces the same result even if the complete video is not played. Till now, it is unclear about what exactly is causing the iPhones to malfunction.

The Victims

All versions of iOS seem to have been affected. Even older iPhones running on i0S 5 are showing same results when the video is played. On the beta version of the iOS 10.2 it even pops up the spinning wheel which is indicates that the device is being turned off. Apple now has to deal with this issue and hope it gets fixed in the next update. On the other hand, Android and Windows phones are unaffected by this bug.

Protect Your Phone

Do not open any suspicious link until and unless you trust the sender. Clicking on such links may download malware and other unwanted applications on your device. Consider the following tips to secure your iPhone from hackers.

• Use the fingerprint sensor or a PIN every time you access your device. 
• Turn off ‘Simple Passcode’ in your phone settings which will allow you to set a strong password comprising of numbers, upper and lowercase letters and symbols. 
• Self-destruct feature on the iPhone wipes all the data if someone tries to hack your phone and has entered a wrong PIN 10 times. 
• Turn off unnecessary app permissions to enhance your privacy. 
• A glance of all the notifications on the home screen comes in handy. However they may sometime contain sensitive information and it’s better to turn them off. 
• Do not use AutoFill on Safari. It is tempting to save your personal information on your web browser so that you don’t have to enter it over and over again. But if your phone is in the wrong hands, you may end up in trouble.

Are you a victim? Here’s how you can fix your phone

You can fix your iPhone with a Hard Reset if it has stopped working. All data will be lost but it brings your device back to life. You can hard reset your iPhone using the following steps:

• Press and hold the home button and the power button at the same time for about 10 seconds 
• Wait for the Apple logo to appear 
• Release the buttons

Use the decrease volume button and the power button in case of an iPhone 7 and your phone will boot up normally.

Malware is Making ATMs 'Spit Cash'

We all know our ATM passwords and have vowed to carry this little secret to our grave because that is sufficient to keep our money safe. What if multiple people withdraw money from your account from several ATM machines even after not knowing your password? No, I’m not talking about a video game. You may now curse the genius hackers, but all of these things are now possible in real life.

Recently, a cyber security firm from Russia has warned about a series of coordinated hacks on the ATM machines. The centralized system of the bank was hacked thereby leading to disgorge of money from several ATMs without the instant knowledge of the bank officials and the account holders.

THE HACKER HITS THE JACKPOT

The activity is conducted by using a program dubbed by Cobalt, an infamous hacker group, to gain access to the bank accounts and in turn, the ATMs. The process has been named “touchless jackpotting”. The machines are not physically tampered with. This is done by penetrating a testing tool into the bank computers and then infecting them with malicious emails for accessing ATM controller servers. All that some accomplice has to wait in the appropriate ATM booth at the right time to collect the money oozing out of the ATM machine.

THE SMART BANK ROBBERS

In earlier days, the hardware based method of robbing where the card information was stolen, was more common. The new method that includes hacking is however much more dangerous because it is actually a smart way to rob a bank, where groups of ATMs are infected simultaneously. So, this method brings twice the money than the old way could, into the sinner’s pockets, that too in a shorter time and with lesser chances of going behind the bars.

TRACE THE MONEY

The key to solving any financial hacking is following the money. However, this is very difficult in this method because the money is collected in person from different ATM booths. The information of the hack is known only after the money has been withdrawn from the ATMs. Even if the cybercrime police hold links to gain information about Cobalt, they can hardly ever get fortunate enough to turn up at the specific location on the specific time. Moreover, the money mules often do not know the hackers as the hackers may not have met them in person .So even if they get caught; it is very difficult to catch the masterminds behind the entire play.

CAN THE MONEY BE SAFE AGAIN? 

The Cobalt group might have joined hands with other big groups of hackers like Buhtrap to raid the ATMs of 14 countries so far, that includes Poland, Spain, Britain, Russia, Romania and Netherlands.

The banks can place their ATM machines under the full view of a security camera and with security personnel at the doorstep so that the money mules can be caught easily. The bank employees must be trained to look for any suspicious threats.

Till then, all you can do is protect your ATM password!

Now Buy Bus Tickets ‘on-the-go’ with RedBus on Windows Devices

Bus is an important mode of transportation and is also a largely preferred transport opted by people when travelling. Travelling by bus is efficient and convenient if not comfortable. Just as all services are being served to us through the wonders of internet, booking seats on bus online, has become smooth and painless. Online bus booking topped with ‘cashbacks’, ‘discount offers’ and ‘refer and earn bonuses’ is just the perfect icing on cake.

There are numerous websites offering online bus bookings. These websites are either travel agency oriented such as ‘yatra.com’ or ‘makemytrip.com’ or these websites are solely dedicated to bus bookings online such as ‘abhibus.com’ or ‘redbus.in’. The most economical amongst these websites is Redbus.in.

Online bus ticket bookings are made easy at Redbus.in. Here, you choose your pickup and destination location and the day of your scheduled trip and voila, you get a wide range of buses available on your entered route all at low prices! You can read the experiences, reviews and ratings of the people to make the final choice. Redbus also gives you the option of booking hotels and hiring a bus/vehicle. The features that makes Redbus fascinating are the Redbus Offers, coupons and discounts!

Some of the popular Redbus Offers, discounts, cashbacks and coupons for Redbus.in are listed below. To use these deals you can firstly click on ‘Show more’ to read further about the deal. If you choose to use that offer then you will click on ‘View Deal’ or ‘Get Code’. That Redbus offer will direct you to the Redbus website where you can do the online ticket booking. The deal gets activated on the ‘payment page’ of your booking.

5. At number 5 we have a Redbus offer that is for HDFC Bank debit card users. When you do your bus booking using the HDFC debit card, you would get a Cashback of Rs. 250/- INR. But your minimum booking account should be of Rs. 1000/- INR. So go ahead and use this deal to make your bus travel pocket friendly.

4.This next Redbus Offer is for people with a Freecharge Wallet. With this offer you can get a Cashback of Rs. 100/- in your Freecharge wallet. Just make your bus ticket booking through Redbus.in and enjoy the Cashback. You don’t need any minimum booking amount to grab this deal. So, don’t wait for too long to click on this deal! You can put this deal on both the mobile application and desktop. But this deal is limited to one time use only by a single user.

3. Now online bus ticket bookings become fun with a Cashback of Rs. 200/- INR. With this Redbus offer code you can plan your trip through Redbus.in and on a minimum value of Rs. 400/- can get upto Rs. 200/- INR Cashback. There will also be some extra cash waiting for you in your Freecharge wallet! So, book your bus tickets online now!

2. Another attractive deal comes to you through Redbus offers. With this coupon of 10% off and 10% Cashback on bus tickets through Redbus you get 10 % off on bus ticket booking and will receive 10% Cashback in your Freecharge wallet. To avail this discount, you have to click on ‘View Code’.

1. This right here is the top most deal on Hotel Bookings through Redbus.in. With this deal you get upto Rs. 4000/- INR off on the hotels you book online. When you go on the ‘checkout page’ after booking your hotel, the code will automatically be entered and you’ll be on your way to a happy holiday, indeed. This Redbus offer cannot be joined with other codes. This deal will without a doubt add to your fun in your next trip. This offer is here for a short period of time. So, do not miss this golden opportunity.

To conclude, Redbus gives you plenty and reasonable options for bus ticket bookings and hotel bookings. With these top 5 Redbus offers, codes and deals make your trip, more importantly, your travel and stay comfortable and affordable! Happy Travelling!

8 Tips on Staying Cyber Safe While Shopping

It is better not to take any shortcuts when it comes to online shopping. Transactions of millions of dollars take place every day over the internet. However, the internet is widespread with hackers and scammers who tend to steal your information and money. Safety measures must be taken during an online transaction and beware of frauds because phishing is very common nowadays through which hackers get access to your accounts.

Say NO to open WIFI networks

While standing in a queue in a shopping center or at cafes, you may find open wifi networks available. It’s not wise to connect to these because open networks are usually not well encrypted and the streams of data flowing through them may be tracked. According to professionals, this is termed as a ‘honeypot’ where the wifi is network is set up by hackers to steal your data. In case you really need to access the internet in the airport, malls or at hospitals look for the ‘wifi-name’ or ask the authority to help you with the process.

Use different passwords for different accounts

There are searchable lists available to hackers containing the email IDs and passwords which they have broken into. Whenever a new account is hacked, they add the stolen information to the list which is even available to others for some pennies. They run the same passwords against a thousand accounts which may result in cracking up more than one account. If you have difficulties remembering more than one password, consider using a password management program.

Watch out for typos

Always make sure that you have spelled the names of the websites correctly. Hackers have registered a thousand websites which have their names close to the original website that you intend to browse. They know exactly where we may go wrong during typing and you end up being a victim. So double check your web address before opening up a website.

Change default passwords

Portable devices like Bluetooth speakers, smart lighting systems etc. come with default passwords for easy connectivity. Take a few more minutes to set up your device and change the passwords for it is very easy for anyone to guess these passwords and gain access.

Never save credit card details on a website

It’s tempting to save your credit card details on a particular website from which you buy frequently so that you don’t have to enter it over and over again. But if the website’s security system gets compromised, you may end up in trouble. So it may be a bit time consuming, but make it a habit of entering your card details every time while making an online purchase.

Phishing emails

Clicking on certain links might end up downloading malicious software on your computer. Always open emails from trusted sources and do not click on anything suspicious. You may get mails like ‘check delivery date’ for something which you have recently ordered. These are usually sent by hackers and are not from the actual websites. Open the main website and check the status of your delivery. Happy shopping!

Banned Uber Drivers Can Now Appeal in New York

Ride-sharing administration Uber will interestingly offer drivers in New York who have been commenced the administration the opportunity to advance - however there are strings appended. Uber deactivates its drivers for a large number of reasons, most broadly to have a traveller rating which drops beneath 4.6 out of five. Drivers can likewise be banned for genuine unfortunate behaviour, for example,sexual assault. Be that as it may, the greyer territory for drivers is the different ways you can be deactivated, for example, "too much" scratching off rides or not accepting enough rides.

At times, drivers have reported being deactivated in the wake of posting slandering comments about Uber via web-based networking media. In any case, now an interest’s procedure - for New York City drivers just - will see drivers up against a board made up of five other Uber drivers. Here they will have the capacity to claim deactivations, however just those in that hazy area. "Awful" drivers appraised inadequately by travellers won't be qualified. The choice is being touted as a "colossal win" by the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), the main laborers' rights bunch perceived by Uber.

It isn't, be that as it may, a union - as drivers can't utilize the gathering to can hope for better pay or advantages. Jim Conigliaro, organizer of the IDG, told his individuals in an email that the gathering was "praising another triumph". "Following quite a while of arrangements," he kept in touch with, "we at last won you the privilege to a reasonable deactivation bid with Uber administration."

'Peer board' 

Uber did not react to the BBC's ask for input other than to point toward its recently set up gateway for offers. The administration has additionally not yet said whether a similar framework will be applicable in other countries or cities. "After months of negotiations,” he wrote, “we finally won you the right to a fair deactivation appeal with Uber management.""Accordingly, certain deactivation choices, particularly those identified with zero resistance infringement, are not qualified for offer. “For instance, we won't acknowledge advances identified with criminal movement while on the application, similar to burglary or heedless driving.

In like manner, we won't acknowledge claims identified with physical or sexual quarrels." Drivers with a low traveller rating will likewise not be considered utilizing this procedure, Uber said. Drivers commenced for poor "quality" can experience an instructional class which may see their record reactivated. The purported "peer board" of drivers will be mutually picked by IDG and Uber and will be encouraged by the American Arbitration Association.

Uber has tussled with its drivers over specialists' rights in urban communities everywhere throughout the world. In October a business tribunal in London verified that drivers ought to persuade the privilege to be considered workers - significance occasion pay, wiped out leave, paid breaks and different advantages. A comparable column is occurring in different areas in the United States. Uber, which propelled in 2009, is said to be worth more than $60bn in view of ventures made in the organization. It is broadly thought to be one of the significant tech firms considering opening up to the world one year from now.

How to Get Google Assistant on Any Android Marshmallow Smartphone in 9 Steps

Latest/Advanced Google Assistant – Messaging App Allo

The latest and advanced Google Assistant is said to be an essential element of the messaging app Allo, of the company together with the flagship Pixel and Pixel XL smartphone which runs on Android 7.1 Nougat. Being limited to Pixel launcher on the new smartphones of Google, one is unable to officially replace Google Now with Google Assistant on Android smartphone.

However due to a mighty Android developer known as Max Rumpf, one small hack can allow you to obtain Google Assistant running on any Android 6.0 Marshmallow based smartphone currently. It tends to utilise Xposed framework together with an app known as AndroidN-ify in order to work the hack. The process is said to function on rooted devices running on Android open-source project ROMS. To get Google Assistant on your Android Marshmallow smartphone the following steps can be taken:

The Nine Steps

1.  You can download the Xposed framework flashable file and APK. Drop these files in the root directory or in a new folder on microSD card or internal storage. Then turn off the smartphone, reboot for recovery and flash the zip installer.  
2. With the smartphone on, utilise file manager in locating the Xposed APK file and install the same. The user may need to check `Unknown Sources in Settings’ followed by Security in order to install the APK file. 
3.  The AndroidN-ifty APK file is to be downloaded and installed and then begins the real game. The user needs to be careful and follow the instructions. 
4.  On opening the Xposed app, tap on the modules and check the AndroidN-ify box. 
5.  Open Root Explorer and find out if the system has been mounted as R/W (read or write) and tap on System then press and hold `build prop’. Then utilise the three dots menu button towards the right area in order to open in text editor. 
6.  Thereafter search for a line known as ro.product.model and this model number would be the name of your device such as the Galaxy S7, OnePlus 3, and LG G5 etc. You may need to create a file if there is no such file like ro.product.model=Pixel XL. Here OS has been faked presuming that the device is Pixel XL. 
7.  When this is done, go to the last line, creating a new one which reads - `ro.opa.eligible_device_true’ and then save it. Here OS is allowed to know that the device is qualified for Google Assistant.
8.  On rebooting the device, confirm if the new model number has been accepted and to get to know this you could go to Settings > About Phone. 
9.  Ensure that you have the updated Google App beta installed. The go to Settings > Apps > Google App > Storage > clear All Data.

Google Assistant – New Pixel Phone

When all this is accomplished, open Google App and setup Google Assistant and when it is setup, you could invoke it on holding the `Home’ button for a couple of seconds or by saying `OK Google’. The new intelligent conversational virtual assistant – Google Assistant is only available officially for new Pixel phone. But with some tweaking one could get it together with all Assistant’s great search and chat features on any Android Marshmallow or higher.

Why Choose NIFT For a Career in Design?

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has been a pioneer in the field of fashion and design since its inception in 1986. It is one of India’s most prestigious and oldest design schools. With campuses spread across the country, NIFT provides education in design to students from varied regions! It also offers a diverse set of courses along with a competitive environment for students to study in.

Courses offered at NIFT 

Candidates who have predilections for fashion and design and who want to set their foot in this industry can choose NIFT as their college. NIFT offers courses under both UG as well as PG program. Courses offered under UG are Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Bachelor of Fashion Technology. Bachelor of design has its own ramifications which include, fashion design, leather design, accessory design, textile design, knitwear design and fashion communication. Courses offered under PG program are Master of Design(M.Des), Master of Fashion Management(M.F.M) and Master of Fashion Technology(M.FTech). To give wings to the dream of making a mark in the field of fashion and design candidates have to take the NIFT entrance exam.

Placements

NIFT industry and Alumni Affairs units facilitates on campus placement for graduating students of NIFT to enable them to start their career in challenging positions. Leading national and international companies participate in placement to recruit NIFT professionals.

For the last year’s placement, the major recruitment was done by retail companies followed by brands. A total of 35% of the total graduates recruited were placed in retail companies. This was followed by fashion brands (20%), designer houses (18%), export houses and agencies (15%).The average annual salary offered to the students of Master’s program was Rs. 4.7 lakhs and bachelor’s program was 3.85 lakhs.

Some unconventional sectors like Bollywood production houses, media and entertainment and television production houses also visit campus for recruitment.

NIFT Alumni

NIFT has produced several talents in various fields like design, bollywood, quality control etc. since its inception in 1986. Following are the names of some of the NIFT alumni who have etched their names in different industries

• Sabyasachi Mukherjee 
• Ritu Beri 
• Shivaji Dutta 
• SujitMeher 
• Manish Arora 
• Nikita Anand 
• GulshanDevaiah 
• Shantanu Goenka 
• Prabal Gurung 
• Tanya Gyani

Unique features of courses offered

Courses offered under both UG and PG programs focus on holistic development of the students. Syllabuses for the courses are so designed that it helps to educate students in such a way so that students learn to face professional/job challenges in an effective manner. NIFT focuses on practical knowledge and helps bolster students in a way which train them to play leadership roles in their fields. Teachers and students share a friendly bond which makes learning more interesting. Contemporary syllabus and teaching techniques are used at NIFT to keep students in keeping with the trend.

Global connect

NIFT has strategic agreements and partnerships with about 34 leading international fashion institutes and organizations that share the same academic direction, integrating NIFT students with global mainstream of fashion. International collaborations allow students to experience ‘study abroad’ options through exchange programs.

Infrastructure

NIFT has a physical environment that reflects the institute’s academic ideals. The institute provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment to impart both theoretical and practical training to its students. The facilities and services offered to the students allow them the freedom to explore, experiment and create. NIFT has a library with lots of books, well equipped laboratories, spacious classrooms, modern cafeteria, sports ground etc.

Scholarships

The financial strategy of the institute places student development as a key priority. A considerable sum from NIFT fund is effectively put to use in this core area every year. To maximize the potential of students the institute’s Means-cum-Merit financial assistance scheme allows students from humble backgrounds to avail subsidized tuition fee at every centre.

Dual degree opportunity

NIFT had entered into strategic alliance with Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, USA. This partnership allows select meritorious students from NIFT, to obtain dual degree from both NIFT and FIT. Twenty two students have completed the dual degree program in the last 3 years. Due to this partnership students get to explore new opportunities and learn about new trends that is going on in the world.

Apart from the variety of courses offered by the institute, NIFT also provides opportunities for good placements, internships and great infrastructure! Therefore, pursuing a career in design from NIFT is deemed as a phenomenal option for aspiring candidates.

Microsoft Adds 3D Paint to Latest Windows 10 Creators Update Test Build

We are living in the era of the digital world and there are hardly any products, trades, industries and services, where some sorts of computer aid cannot be seen. The huge development in the science and technology has paved the way for the computer and the internet, which have then changed the entire scenario. With the intense and steady growth of the computer; the massive growth can be seen in the manufacturing and development of the hardware and software, which supports the immense demand, throughout the world.

In this segment, the Microsoft is considered as the front runner, due to their pioneering character and timely software developments, which is necessary to cope with the demands, created in the market by the potential users. The Microsoft 3D Paint is one such application that is considered as the most advanced mode of drawing application, which is a delight for the designers and developers. Some of the most interesting features and information of the Microsoft 3D Paint are as follows:

• Since the mid – 80s of the last century, the paint application has been there in th
  e Microsoft family of applications, but there were not many changes being made to get it more attractive to the users. But now, Microsoft has changed their approach and now in coming days, the Microsoft insiders can get this application, due to newly developed Build 14971, which allows the users to avail the most appealing 3D Paint facility on a very advanced structure.

• It is worth mentioning that the Paint 3D is the biggest refresher in the history of applications and this is the reason, the Microsoft has already considered it as the major keystone in their upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update. This decision has been taken to make the 3D content development as an indispensable component of the respective operating system.

• In the Build 14971; the Command Prompt is being replaced by the de facto command shell in the most important File menu of the File Explorer and also in the Win+ X menu. It can be noted that even after the introduction of the new look 3 D paint; Microsoft will allow potential users, who prefer or want to use Command Prompt to change their settings that can be helpful to keep this on their respective machines, as default.

• There are some of the most interesting features, very minor in nature, along with, some relevant and quite a number of fixes in Build 14971, such as; translation, edge, notification, inking etc. available in the new version. Generally, there are some known features and issues in this new Build, which are effectively affecting quite a number of applications including; Photos, Stores, People and most interestingly, the Studio games of Microsoft.

• The notable thing is; this unique change in the application will be helpful for easy discovery and launching of apps and also will be of great support in all the recently created or edited documents in one place. Although there are familiar help links, but the redesigning of the experience made it easier to find the intended document, without any hindrance.

Future of Mobility- BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100

BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 – New Motorcycle Concept

Recently BMW Group in Santa Monica, California had debuted a motorcycle concept artificially intelligent which eliminates the need of the rider to wear protective gear inclusive of a helmet. The latest manifestation of Vision Next series of BMW is `The BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 motorcycle which tends to celebrate 100 years of the German brand with progressive concept vehicles from Rolls-Royce, Mini together with BMW.

 This year the group had been hosting several events across the globe to introduce every new concept in several cities. The event at California which had taken place in an old airplane hangar had displayed the BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 motorcycle together with each of the other earlier shown concepts of the group. This is said to be the fourth and final concepts to be portrayed. One would question what the future of the motorcycle would hold.

As per BMW, BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 seems to be a bike which tends to have self-balancing system in order to keep it upright while standing – which is a benefit for novice riders on par with training wheels for bicycles and while in motion it, is advantageous for experienced rider who prefer cultured handling at great speed.

Digital Companion – Riding Advice/Adjustment Ideas

One system which BMW has named `Digital Companion provides riding advice as well as adjustment ideas to optimize the experience and the so called `The Visor’ which is a pair of glasses,spans the total field of vision and controlled by eye movements, correlates to return lively feedback regarding road conditions to the rider while adjusting the ride of the bike constantly, based on driving style of the rider. It is meant to be equivalent to the driverless systems automakers believed in producing cars by 2040 and thereafter.

According to Holger Hampf, head of user experience of BMW, he states that the bike tends to have full range of connected data from its surroundings together with a set of intelligent systems that seems to work in the background and hence it is precisely alert of what lies ahead. It also senses to use a novel matte black `flexframe’ which tends to nimble adequately to permit the bike to turn without the joints that are found in current motorcycles.

No Buttons – Red Rocker Switch

The purpose is that when a rider seems to turn the handlebar, it adapts the complete frame to alter the direction of the bike. At low speeds only a light input is needed though at high speeds it seems to require strong input to change the course. This should upsurge the safety concept of riding a bike and a small twitch at 100 mph would not shoot the rider in a sudden new direction. However not everything regarding the concept bike is progressive. The black triangle shape of the frame together with the white trim line as well as the classic boxer engine form are intended to induce the 1923 R32, which was the first motorcycle ever made by BMW. The seat, the upper frame cover and wings comprise of carbon and the bike would run on a futuristic `non-gasoline power source. Another modern touch is the area towards the front thathas almost no buttons but a red rocker switch at the end of the right handlebar.

Google Announced Winners of Material Design Awards 2016

Google Announced Winners = Material Designs 2016

A design system tends to come to make waves when it is utilised in creating meaningful experiences.Google had introduced the Material Design showcasing applications which had embraced and embodied the design principles of Android much better than the others.

At Google I/O 2016, the app Robinhood had won the Google Play Award for the Best Use of Material Design. The winners of the Awards for Material Designs 2016 have been announced by Google last year, which had been dedicated at recognising the `best-in-class’ achievements for utilising material design for apps.Classifications of the award tend to focus specific aspects of Material Design which have been utilised in the creation of the apps that are inclined to satisfy users and express the brand suitably.

The five winners had been honoured on October 27 at the SPAN LA conference which represented the finest application of aspects of Material Design. The awards had been cut down into categories which focus on how developers could create apps that are not only great for use but also tends to express their brand on utilising the application design guidelines offered by Google. Asana had won the Brand Infusion award- Team Tasks & Projects.

Goal Completion Animations

According to Google, Asana makes the teamwork productive as well as collaborative by providing short together with often repeatedly interactions to `make efficiency feel rewarding’. Fabulous – Motivate Me, had won the Charming Engagement award wherein the app tends to feature charming illustration style in creating an impression on the users.

Google has noticed that the state transition with pleasing goal completion animations tends to keep up the motivation. C Channel received the Creative Navigation award and the app is said to organise content in a series of tabs which has the tendency of navigating through swiping. Google informs that the state that the app `neatly balances a blend of studio-created and user-submitted videos related to fashion, food and much more.

But it is only available in Japanese and Thai.The Expressive Layouts award was won by Kitchen Stories app and the app had been distinguished for its capability of creative effective together with scanning of layouts with ease for recipes on various kinds of screens and sizes.

Winning Apps – Taken Up Design Language to Great Heights

Moreover, it also tends to minimise the number of times user tend to have to touch the screen and is beneficial if the user seems to have untidy fingers while cooking. Airbnb was awarded for Focused Efficiency wherein Google informed that the app is `able to sidestep the appearance of complexity, thereby making the overall experience comfortable.

But it also observed that efficiency does not come at the cost of the visual appeal of the app. The award winning apps have taken up the design language to great heights and also deserves the honours and awards they have been provided. The Material Design Contest follows Google-hosted app contest – the Indie Games Festival which had wrapped up in September. This envisaged three game developers awarded tickets to I/O 2017 developer conference of Google, a Tango Development kit together with a Razer Forge TV bundle.

100 Guesses Is Enough To Crack Your Password

In the past few years the constant ever growing threat of cyber attacks and rampant attack has brought a new sensibility among the avid internet users towards strengthening their password. So how people make their password stronger is not an enigma. Most of the people include a number of two along with punctuation in order to make it difficult for the bad guys to figure it out. Sometimes people even add the name of a site or their pet or some other tricks to spice the things up. But a recent study has shown that if you do things like these then it is simply not enough.

A team of four researchers from the Peking University along with Jeff Yan from Lancaster University has published a study wherein they were able to crack a number of passwords from lesser than 100 guesses. They had aptly titled their study as ‘targeted Online Password Guessing: An Underestimated Threat.

TarGuess designed to break password effortlessly

Typing in the guessed password for hundred times or less than hundred times will be considered as a time consuming affair. Therefore researchers have created an algorithm named TarGuess which has been able to notch 73% of success in selected test scenarios. This means that the algorithm has been successful in decoding the password of users in 100 guesses at the most. TarGuess works so well on the cracking the password because at first it indulge in getting to know the targets.

TarGuess is designed to make use of the personally identifiable information (PII) in order to guess the passwords. Once the target is identified TarGuess makes use of the available information present on the site such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Then it also makes use of the dozens of the massive breaches which has happened in the past revealing the personal details or account info of the users.

Reuse Password practice should be avoided

Most of the people tend to reuse password for different website and accounts which is a very bad idea when it comes to security. TarGuess can easily spot your email address when you use passwords like biglove123yahoo for yahoo account and a similar password for PayPal account. TarGuess will quickly decide to start guessing with biglove123paypal for the PayPal as the safe bet.

Do not substitute numbers for letters

A number of TV show hackers has popularized the usage of numbers as a substitute for letters. But this practice isn’t a great weapon for creating stronger passwords. Researchers have embedded TarGuess with more than a dozen of transformation rules which can easily help in decoding the numbers for their respective letters. Apart from that it can even do difficult transformation like swapping the word as for @s.

There is a similar kind of tool named Telepathwords created by Microsoft which has the ability to predict the next character within a password as user happens to type it. Therefore substituting habit should be avoided at all cost as it makes your passwords much easier to crack than you can even think of.

How to Turn Off Microsoft's Newest Office 365 Pop Up Ads

Microsoft is known for using pop-up ads in order to increase the adoption of its Windows and Office suite among the users. However in the past few weeks Microsoft has been actively targeting the Windows users to opt for the Office 2016 which is the latest version of Office suite. Office 2016 brings complete package of Office applications with one-time payment for just one computer.

Office 2016 doesn’t have any upgrade option and users would have to wait to next major release in order to get new features. Currently one time purchase option is available both for PC and Macs through variety of versions. In order to give a push to Office 2016 Microsoft has started bringing pop-up ads on the Office 365 version users to make the shift.

How this pop-up ad works?

A number of users are being targeted by the Microsoft with its notorious pop-up ads which adds to the frustration when working with Office 365. During the work a message pop-up right on the screen and states that ‘Your upgrade to Office 2016 is ready. Free with your Office 365 subscription.’ Thereafter users only have three options in front of their screen which asks them either to ‘See what’s new’, Upgrade and Later’. This pop-up ad might seem easy and not so much nuisance but this appear right in the middle of a important work can simply test anyone patience after a couple of times. Not everyone is tech-savvy enough to deal with the pop-up ads. Many users find it difficult to dismiss the pop-up ads.

Pop-up ads are misleading to its core

These pop-up ads are only being brought to the screen of the Office 365 subscriber on the Windows 7 desktop PC. Users with Office 365 Business Essentials plan doesn’t get the capability to use the locally installable Office 2016 apps rather they have to rely on the web applications. In such a case the upgrade to the Office 2016 will certainly not be free as proclaimed earlier rather users will have to make the one-time payment for Office 2016.

Microsoft explanation towards using the pop-up ads

Microsoft has explained that the pop-up ads are not misleading at all as it offers existing Office 365 users to upgrade to the Office 2016. Currently the pop-up ads are being tested by the Microsoft engineers to recalibrate and enhance the frequency of the pop-up ads.

In the meantime if any users is feeling frustrated or having difficulty in dealing with the pop-up ads then it can be removed completely by following the below mentioned ways.

• Step 1: Download the Quick Fix from Microsoft site. 
• Step 2: Give a click on Open or Run and install the Quick Fix. 
• Step 3: Now simply follow the steps provided in the Fix wizard.

A number of users are left wondering how they will be able to make use of their existing version of Office Suite before they have to eventually upgrade to latest version. Then they should feel at ease because Microsoft is offering support for its existing older versions of Office till 2023 and it differs as per the specific version.

How to Make a Mirror That Tells You the Weather

Credit:Imgur

Cool Smart Mirror – Informs About Weather

Much progress has been taken place in the internet of things and with great headway in the field of technology; we tend to live in the future where everything has a tendency to be Wi-Fi compatible. A boring normal mirror can be boosted into a cool smart mirror which could inform you about the weather while one seems to be watching your reflection.

One of the most well-known stop in the making of everything in our lives `smart’, is the mirror.It could be expensive to get a smart mirror and hence creating one could be quite economical. All that one would need is some glass and some support for the mirror, together with a monitor for the display accompanied by a Raspberry Pi for the smarts.

Max Braun, Google engineer for instance had built a smart mirror earlier in the year and presently web developer, designer as well as tinkerer Zach had developed an identical gadget which tends to add voice commands together with verbal responses which seem to sound like a very simple J.A.R.V.I.S.

The manufacturers had developed their own mirror from a sheet of glass together with support. The option lies with the user intending to develop one by following the instruction or by purchasing a custom mirror which has been developed for this purpose.

One Way Mirror/Monitor/Computer

Thereafter one could build a frame for the mirror keeping in mind that the frame too needs to hold a monitor. This could be huge; hence one would require a thick frame to hide it. Moreover you would also require building a section in the frame to grip the mirror.

Eventually you need to install everything and plug it in and then you could have your own smart mirror. A magic mirror is essentially a frame, a one-way mirror, a monitor together with a computer – Raspberry Pi. All that is needed is a-

•  Computer screen which can be taken apart 
•  An observation mirror or a glass together with a mirror film 
•  A Raspberry Pi having a casing and micro USB power cord 
•  A SD card – 8GB 
•  Network adaptor, for Wi-Fi 
•  Wood frame – boards, screw, glue, paint, drill 
•  HDMI-to-VGA adaptor based on if the screen tends to have HDMI or not 
•  A mouse together with a keyboard with USB 
•  An alternate computer to fix OS and stuff

Enhancement of Self-Confidence

One ought to know not to take the measurements for the mirror till you have opened the screen which would tend to be smaller when the plastic is removed. Moreover when you have the screen, ensure that the contacts tend to be on one area on the sides and not straight back. Should they be straight back, one could envisage an issue if the need to hang it later on the wall arises.

The smart mirror has the tendency of providing plenty of useful data for those getting ready to leave their home in the morning, comprising of the date and time, together with the weather, future events on their calendar as well compliments. What one would need most in the morning more than a reminder of caffeine is an enhancement of self-confidence.

Amplify Your Mood with the New Google Home

Say hello to the new smart speaker from the tech-giant, the “Google Home” which is listed under the “Made by Google” product line up. Priced at around $129, the Google Home is a direct competition to the Amazon Echo which has been in the market for a while. So does it have what it takes to be the new favorite? Here’s a quick review of the latest Google Home!

Hardware Specifications: 

Standing at 5.62 inches or 143 mm tall and 3.79 inches or 96 mm in diameter and weighing at around 480 grams, it has a cylindrical shape with 4 LEDs on the top of the device programmed to indicate battery life. The upper surface is also equipped with a capacitive touch panel which allows play/pause music, adjusting volume or opening up the Google assistant. Powered by the same ARM processor and WIFI module present on the Chromecast, it is a pretty compact device that turns your residence into a Smart Home. The base comes with an interchangeable cover with various colors like carbon, copper, snow, marine, mango and violet.

Know Your Companion: 

Google Home seamlessly controls home devices and products like Nest Thermostat, Philips, IFTTT and SmartThings. It also behaves like a Chromecast and using voice commands it can stream audio and video to compatible devices. So if you feel lazy, you can just ask the device to adjust the room temperature or play your favorite TV show for you from your bed! It is rumored that Netflix is working on adding voice commands to their apps and soon Google Home will support it.

The Google assistant supports YouTube, Pandora, Google Play Music, IHeart Radio and Tunein. It comes with a feature viz. “My Day” which lets the assistant access information about the daily schedule of the user. Before heading out of the door you may ask “Ok Google, How’s the weather?” and it will say it loud for you. Consider a situation that you may have more than one speaker in your home; Google clarified that the devices comes with a dual microphone set up and the one which hears the voice best will wake up.

It is context aware which makes it far easier to talk to. Conversations with the device seem a lot easier compared to Amazon’s Echo. However it can access information from only one Google account. This may considered as a minute drawback as nowadays everyone has more than one personal account. Hope it gets fixed soon.

The Final Verdict 

So should you buy it? If you are out in the market for a portable speaker then the Google Home is definitely a wise choice. It has great quality sound output and a compact design. It excels in what it is meant to do i.e. provide a seamless interconnection between devices and play quality music. Yes, it doesn’t come cheap but it delivers for the price point. There are alternatives in the market but a product from a tech-giant like Google is always preferable.

A New Twist on Airplane Wing Design

In one of his greatest work “Codex on the Flight of Birds”, Leonardo da Vinci provided some unique study with almost 500 sketches of flying machine, which is the basis of modern Airplane technology in the contemporary society. The Wright brothers have accomplished the maiden powered flight over hundred years ago, which was controlled by using pulleys and wires to twist and bending of the wings, made of wood and canvas.

Although this system is a quite different one, that is propelled by hinged flaps and the ailerons, which are being used in most of the aircraft since its inception. The aircraft technology has developed in many ways in the last few decades and witnessed some of the most advanced elements in the design and technical know-how.

Now the engineers from MIT and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have developed some hi-tech enchantment, with a new version of bendable and “morphing” wing. This new technology is having some unique features and simplified process of manufacturing that reduces the consumption of fuel by improving the aerodynamics of wings. Some of the features of this basic concept are as follows:

• The fundamental principle at the back of this new concept is the simple use of an arrangement of tiny and lightweight structural components, which are referred as “digital materials” and can be assembled into almost infinite assortment of shapes. This is such a simple structure manufacturing that can be compared even with the formation of configuration with the help of Lego blocks. The separate pieces are quite strong and rigid in nature, but it can be noted; the precise choice of sizes and the materials and most importantly the geometry of the assembling of pieces, which allow for the exact tuning of suppleness of the shape.

• According to researchers; the building up of such large and intricate structure, from an arrangement of tiny and indistinguishable building blocks, which have the exceptional grouping of strength, flexibility and light weight, simplifies the manufacturing process to a great extent. This modular structure is also providing the greatest ever simplicity in both the assembly and the disassembly of the construction that means; when the structure is not been needed, it can be dismantled and the entire structure can be taken apart by segregating its separate component parts, which can be reassembled and used for creating some other kinds of structures.

• Being the composition of different tiny parts; repairing process is also very easy and can be done in a very simple manner e.g. just by replacement of the damaged subunits in a very comfortable manner. The “skin” or the outer coat of the wings is also enhancing the performance of the structure. This “Skin:” is made with the technology of overlapping strips, made of flexible materials and layered as bird’s feather or somewhat like fish scales, which allows the pieces in moving across, while the wings flexes but still provide the most smoothened outer surface. It is ascertained that the primary use of this technology can be for making of tiny and robotic aircraft at the initial stage.

Google Now Lets You Control Your Phone Using Harry Potter Spells

Are you an ultimate Harry Potter fan? Has it been your childhood dream to get a magical Hogwarts experience? Harry potter is not only a story or a name it is an experience which has won the heart of millions around the world. If you’ve never missed on Hogwarts and have been an Android user, them Google has the best thing for you. Google’s new applications allow Android users to change their mobile devices into a magical experience. Using this application you can easily convert your phone into your personal wand. Using a variety of Harry Potter spells you will be able to control your Android device.

Spells to activate phone functions 

Using Google voice assistant you can use this latest software by pressing the microphone icon or by saying ‘Ok Google’. Certain Latin spells like Silencio or Lumos you will be able to active a few phone functions. In the wizarding world of Hogwarts Lumos adds light to the wands and by using these spell Android users could turn their flashlights on. Similarly, Nox is another wizarding spell which will turn the flashlight off. Silencio which is used to add a silencing charm at Hogwarts will immediately turn the device’s silent feature on.

This innovative Google application is a tie up with Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts. Google is trying to incorporate some new features to the Google Maps. Using the Google Street View users will be able to view 1926 New York, and four different US locations from the film. Although this is not the first time that Google made a tie up with a film. Google’s previous was with tie up with Star Wars, and Android users got the opportunity to enjoy the Jedi Lightsaber Game. The spells in the Harry Potter application is the coolest feature, and is being extremely well recived by the audience.

Be a wizard and tour New York 

This team up has proved to be a marvelous and efficient promotion for the much anticipated ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them’, Harry Potter prequel. Android users are having fun with this latest feature by using their phones as wands and casting magic spells. Who doesn’t want to be a wizard? Getting a taste of the magical Hogwarts experience has been a dream of people around the globe, and by this software you can be a wizard and cast some spells. The prequel of this world famous movie series is set in the 1920’s in New York.

Using the Google Maps feature you get to visit the gothic environment in New York of 1926. Moreover, users will also be able to explore the real locations of today’s New York City using Google Street View. Harry Potter fans will be able to visit Steen National Bank, the meeting point of Jacob Kowalski and Newt, Magical Congress of USA, the underground Blind Pig, and the enchanting apartment of Queenie and Tina Goldstein, who play two primary characters in the prequel. There are trillions of Hogwart fans around the world, and many have desired to get a magical experience. If you want to get anything close to the real experience try out this amazing Google application.

Firefox Disables Loophole That Allows Sites to Track Users via Battery Status

We are living in a society, where the science and technology have taken a great leap forward and developed the most outstanding invention of the computer and the internet, which have now become such an issue that a little bit of touch of these can be seen in almost everywhere in our life.

The web surfing in the computer or other devices, with the help of the internet, is a very common issue in our life and people of almost all color, class, nationality are now accustomed with these technological advances, which cannot be avoided, due to its useful characteristics. To cater the web world, the user needs to take the help of a browser that can play the role of perfect vehicle in surfing process.

The Firefox is one such browser, which is considered as one of the most popular ones and being used by millions of internet enthusiasts, across the world. It is popular, not only for the colorful look or name but for the user-friendly features, which are time to time developed by a strong professional team. Recently Firefox disabled one of its features, considered as a loophole because it allows various websites to track the specific user through the status of the battery use.

The Issue at a Glance

The battery status feature of the Firefox is having some loopholes and these are now being fixed or disabled by the organization to provide a sigh of relief for its millions of users from being opened to the users, who want to get the details of the internet user. Some of the features of this fixing of loopholes are as follows: 

•  The said feature is known as “battery status API’ that allows various websites to request information about what amount of battery life has left of a specific visitor and these are; whether the device is plugged in or not, what time the battery will take to be exhausted and the percentage of remaining charge. 
•  The browser is having the features that were helpful for websites to offer some of the lesser energy sensitive versions sites for their visitors, who are having less battery power remaining e.g. a mapping site may download a smaller amount of information or a social networking website could put out of action its auto-playing video. 
•  Only in 2015, the Guardian, renowned newspaper of international repute, reported with various instances that researchers have discovered that someone can easily abuse the specific feature, which may helpful in tracking down the browsing on the internet. 

Now Firefox has disabled this battery status feature in a bid to help their potential users to get rid of the problem of getting tracked by other sites, which is a great threat to their personal security and dignity. Although they have already repaired this loophole, there are others in the market of browsers, who are now considering of repealing some of their features, which may help the internet lovers to get proper immunization from internet threat of being tracked by any websites or personnel of questionable identity.

Researching Industrial Components before Buying

Your factory relies on a host of equipment and parts for its successful daily operations. When one of your machines breaks down, it is essential that you get the required parts quickly. However, you do not want to sacrifice speed for quality. You can find high-quality industrial components and more for your business by shopping online today.

Resources for More Information

As knowledgeable about machine parts as you may be, you still could benefit by having more information about them available to you during the purchasing process. Some of the parts may be a bit unfamiliar to you; others may be items that you have not used in quite awhile. You also may come across components that are entirely new to you and the machine shop market. You can learn everything you need to know about them by using the resources found on the website.

You can click on the pictures of the parts for sale to get an in-depth description of what each item is used for and with what equipment it is compatible. For example, if you need a hose valve, you may want to know what sizes hoses it can be used with and what hose manufacturers recommend it.

Likewise, you may want to see the part in action before you buy it. The website has videos showing the parts being used and also describing how they should be added to machines already in your shop. This visual information can help you use the parts safely and effectively, saving you money and protecting your shop machinery.

More Help

The website also has a live chat ready to help you get fast answers about parts you want or need to buy. The chat agent can direct you to the right components to buy for your shop and also give you pertinent information like the parts number or recommended compatibility. You can access this help by clicking on the Resource Center link at the top of the page or by clicking on the live chat window at the bottom right side of the website.

Your factory's daily success and profitability depends on the quality of parts you use to repair and upgrade your machinery. You can get the components needed for repairs and more by shopping online. You can also learn more on using this gear properly by using the online resource center options.

Microsoft Attacks Google's Windows Hack Alert

Google leaves Microsoft red faced by revealing a potent security flaw found right in its popular Windows operating system. Google has published a report which gives insight and remarkable details into the security flaw which has yet to be fixed by the Microsoft. It should be noted that Google has already given a deadline of seven days to Microsoft for fixing up the flaw but Microsoft simply failed to play by the rules. Google has stated that it was necessary to reveal the flaw to public as it was being actively abused. Microsoft reiterated by stating that alert which only ends up in causing more harm because it will still need more time come with a suitable security patch.

The flaw revealed by Google

Google has revealed a major flaw in the file named Win32k.sys which is utilized by the Microsoft’s Windows operating system to display graphics. Any kind of alteration or moderation to this file can create havoc for the users which leaves the display system is jeopardy. Deleting or altering this file results in system errors with the notorious blue screen of death. This has been known by all the major security experts and operating system users as well as technicians but the flaw revealed by Google brings showcase a vulnerability which can utilized by the hackers for their own personal gains.

Google has quite frankly laid down the roadmap for any hacker to exploit this vulnerability through using a ‘security sandbox escape. This simply means that if a hackers gets acess of any Windows operating system the he will get the ability to alter other computer function sin order to cause more problems for the end users.

Why Google chose to reveal the vulnerability? 

Google has a policy which has been active since 2013 and it states that Google will offer 60 days to the developers to fix up the flaw identified by it, only in the case if no one making active use of the flaw. But if it’s found that the vulnerability is being utilized by hackers or other then Google will offer just 7 days before making the flaw public.

Similarly Google has given seven days to the Microsoft to come up with a fix for this vulnerability but they failed to do so. Microsoft has stated in its defense that it isn’t feasible to come with right solution and fixing parameter with an imposing aggressive timeline. It has also been stated by Google that users can safeguard themselves from this flaw through limiting the exposure by the using the Chrome which is not effectively exposed to the vulnerability.

Tech community is divided in this debacle

Cyber security experts are left scratching their whether the decision taken by Google is right or wrong given the fact that revealing the flaw will still require a security patch from Microsoft and Microsoft requires time to develop it. A security expert has stated that bringing flaw public without knowing who are the attackers and targets can aggravate the situation further.

Samsung Electronics to Acquire Artificial Intelligence Firm Viv

Samsung Acquiring US AI Platform Developer Viv Labs Inc

Recently the tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd had mentioned that it will be acquiring U.S. artificial intelligence – AI platform developer Viv Labs Inc. which is a firm run by co-creator of Apple Inc’s Siri voice assistant programme. Samsung had specified in a statement that it intends to integrate the AI platform of San Jose based company known as Viv, into the Galaxy smartphones and develop voice-assistant services to home appliances together with wearable technology devices.

The financial terms had not been disclosed. In order to make artificial intelligence adequately good in enabling consumers to interact with their devices much more naturally especially through voice, the technology firms have been locked in an increasingly heated race.

 Alphabet Inc’s Google has been considered to be the leader in AI though there are others such as Amazon.com, Apple and Microsoft who have also launched their own offerings comprising of voice-powered digital assistant.Samsung being the top smartphone maker in the world is also eager to differentiate its devices from phones to fridges by combining AI.

The achievement of Viv could benefit the Korean firm showing its effectiveness when the Google’s new Pixel smartphones equipped with the U.S. firm’s voice powered digital assistant tends to threaten Samsung together with the other smartphone manufacturers who seem to be mainly dependent on the Android operating platform.

Teach System in Creating New Apps

Samsung’s executive vice president, Rhee In-jong informed Reuters in an interview that Viv brings in a very unique technology enabling them to have an open system where any third party service and content providers could add their services to our devices’ interfaces. Rhee stated that Samsung needs to really revolutionise how its devices operate, moving in utilising voice instead of touch and that they cannot innovate using only in-house technology.

The chief executive of Viv and co-founder Dag Kittlause, a Siri co-creator together with other top managers at the firm would be continuing in managing the business independently after the acquisition. Rhee also informed Reuters that Samsung would continue in looking for acquisitions to strengthen its AI together with the other software capabilities without mentioning any targets. Viv’s AI platform enables developers to teach the system in creating new apps or to utilising the prevailing one and build an open ecosystem of intelligence.

Envisaging Future Beyond Apps

Kittlaus had mentioned in a statement that at Viv they are building the simplest system to talk to devices and services everywhere. They are envisaging a future which is beyond apps where one could get what they need instantly and easily irrespective of where they could be or what device is nearby.

Analyst at Edison Investment Research Richard Windsor told IBTimes UK that Viv is very good at interpreting and understanding natural speech and understands context with regards to earlier asked questions. It can unravel multi-part complex questions. If this tends to work as advertised, it would be better at natural language than Google Assistant.

Viv runs everything in the cloud which means the dislocation of the phones on Android of Samsung and everything else on Tizen could be less of an issue than what is at present. But this has placed Samsung in a position to compete directly against Google whose focus is to have its Google Assistant front and centre of every Samsung Android device according to Windsor.

3D Printing Technology to Create Shock Absorbing Skin

3D Printing Technology – Custom Shock Absorbing Dampers/Skins

Robots have a tendency to break and often it could be due to improper padding to protect them. However scientists of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT – CSAIL have come up with a new technique for 3D printing soft materials which tends to make robots safer as well as more accurate in their movements.

For instance, after 3-D printing a cube robot that moves on bouncing, the researchers prepared it with shock-absorbing `skins’ which utilises only about 1/250 of the amount of energy it transfers to the ground. The 3-D printing technology had been utilised to create custom shock absorbing dampers or skins in order to safeguard drones and robots.

Known as the `programmable viscoelastic material – PVM technique, the printing method of MIT provides object with the accurate stiffness or elasticity they may need. According to the MIT, the inspiration for the project had come from a predicament. Common damper resources usually tend to have solid as well as liquid assets which are made from compact, cheap and readily found items like rubber or plastic, but these seem difficult to customize. They cannot be created beyond specific sizes and dampening levels which are already in place.

Cube Shaped Robot – TangoBlack

This issue had been resolved by the team by utilising 3D printing technology in creating a bouncing cube shaped robot from a solid, a liquid together with a flexible rubber type material known as TangoBlack+. Besides absorbing shock, the cube robot is said to be capable of landing more accurately in consideration of its skin.Daniela Rus, Director of CSAIL who had supervised the project and co-wrote a related paper, commented that reduction tends to make the difference in preventing a rotor from breaking of a drone or a sensor from cracking when it tends to hit the floor.

 These materials permit 3-D print robots with visco-elastic properties which can be recorded by the user at print-time as part of the process of fabrication. MIT informed that the technology could be utilised in expanding the lifespan of delivery drones such as the ones that have been created by Amazon and Google. It could also be engaged on a more practical level for performing tasks like helping to protect phone or cushioning heads in helmets and the feet in shoes.

Skins Enables Robot to Land Four Times More Accurately

The skins also enable the robot to land almost four times more accurately recommending that related shock absorbers can be utilised in helping in lengthening the lifespan of delivery drones.The new paper was presented at IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Korea written by Rus together with three postdocs with lead authors Robert MacCurdy together with Jeffrey Lipton as well as third author Shuguang LiThe cube robot comprises of a rigid body, accompanied by two motors, a microcontroller, battery together with inertial measurement unit sensors.

Four layers of looped metal strip seem to serve as springs which tend to propel the cube. Hod Lipson, professor of engineering at Columbia University and co-author of `Fabricated: The New World of 3-D Printing’, states that by combining multiple materials in achieving properties which are beyond the range of the base material, this work drives the envelope of what’s probable to print. On top of that being able to do this in a single print-job, raises the bar for additive manufacturing’.

If the US Hacks Russia for Revenge, That Could Lead to Cyberwar

After Russia took claim of a recent upon the US government in the cyber field CIA wishes to send a message back by indulging in similar response. Russian hackers brought massive cyber attacks upon the US and try to bring huge interference during the US election through state sponsorship. CIA has a plan to bring the offensive back to the Russian by launching similar attacks which will only help worsening the relationship between the two countries.

Just last week a report was released by NBC News where it was specifically stated that CIA is actively working on the blueprints to launch one of the most covert cyber operation against Russia in near future. Few experts has suggested that CIA would be working towards leaking the letters and documents related to Vladimir in the similar fashion as Russians has released the documents related to the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Documents collected to be utilized during cyber attack

Retired security personnel has stated that over the years CIA has accumulated a wide number of documents and filed which can create trouble for the Russian and most importantly for Vladimir Putin. These documents basically deal with notorious dealing of the Putin and his associates in the last decade and beyond.

Ex-NSA Chief Michael Hayden has even went ahead to say that hacking foreign governments as well as political happens to be the past time of the CIA. Currently the relationship and atmosphere surrounding these two countries has become quite similar to the Cold War era but instead of a nuclear war threat of an impending cyber war looms in the air. Obama is going out of the office in November but even that has not stopped him from criticizing Putin in this regard.

It might even happen that all these theories about CIA possessing a truckload of information on Putin is simply a story to scare off Russians from causing anymore undue damage in the cyber field. If CIA plans are real then how useful will it be against Russia is yet to be asserted. A number of security experts has stated simply releasing damaging documents against Putin will not have any impact among the Russian government though his image might take a hit globally but nothing worthwhile can come out of it in the long run.

A warning for impending cyber war

US politicians are highly susceptible to the public pressure which can even spoil their future and political career if any documents are found against them. On other Putin isn’t much susceptible to such thing but Russian can utilize its highly robust internet surveillance plan to launch attack upon the US in the cyber field if it ever feel threatened then it will go on full-fledged cyber war against US.

The international paradigms changes just a few years ago the greatest threat to US cyber security was China. China has been accused of hacking into and tens of millions of US citizen’s security review files right from the US government online databases which tend to go decades back.